


Chain Me To Your Heart's Desire

by Dark_Angel23



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Chance Meetings, Claustrophobia, Coffee Shops, Doctor!Merlin, F/M, Flea market, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Arthur, POV Merlin (Merlin), Sir Leon the Long Suffering, Subways, businessman!arthur, dunk tank, more like leon the long suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29896392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Angel23/pseuds/Dark_Angel23
Summary: Soulmates were extremely rare, a fact that hadn't managed to escape Arthur. No matter he had one, he couldn't help but find the man he saw at a coffee shop at three in the morning extremely attractive. The fact he kept bumping into him did not help matters.Merlin never had much time to think about his soumate too much, but holy damn, if that man from the coffee shop was his, he would spend the rest of his believing in miracles.Or, five times Merlin and Arthur unknowingly met their soulmate and one time they knew.(Tags will be updated as the story progresses)
Relationships: Gwaine/Percival (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 73





	1. Lock Me Up With Joy And Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Lock Me Up by The Cab.
> 
> Soulmate AU in which anything you write on your skin comes up on your soulmate's.
> 
> POV change will be signified by a line, time skips by double space between paragraphs.

Merlin wasn’t particularly ashamed of the fact that he still hadn’t managed to find his soulmate at twenty-eight, he just didn’t like people bringing it up. But in their defence, it was rare for someone to have met them by their mid-twenties, and Merlin was turning twenty-nine the month after next.

 _Hey, you awake?_ Merlin scrawled on his arm, his messy doctor’s handwriting even worse than usual due to the late hour.

 **Just about barely. Why are you?** A reply came a few moments later, a precise handwriting spreading right under his own words.

 _Double shift at the hospital. Seriously, Will owes me big time for this._ Merlin wrote back, blinking furiously to keep his sleep at bay. He had exchanged shifts with a coworker of his, because Will had said that he had a date. Merlin suspected he just wanted to go to bed, but he could exactly blame him.

 **Ouch. But I can relate. Though I dare say compiling and comparing reports from various departments for a board meeting at 2:30 in the morning is a lot more difficult than whatever that is your doing right now. Sitting around probably.** Merlin raised an eyebrow at his arm. His soulmate was an utter prat; something that Merlin had already deduced within months of being sixteen. He has had a lot of practice dealing with him.

_My profession is much more noble than yours. You work people and build money off their backs, while I, on the other hand, save their lives._ Merlin replied, trying to sound mock haughty.

**I see you did not deny that you are sitting around right now.** Damn you.

Merlin huffed. What his soulmate said _was_ true. He was sitting around. But in his defence, not many people came to the hospital at ass o’clock in the night unless it was an emergency. Which was not, at this moment.

_Clotpole_

**Not a word**

A small snore to his right jerked Merlin up. His fellow doctor on the shift, Percival, had fallen asleep and was snoring. Lucky him. Merlin glanced at the clock. Nearly 3. His shift was going to finish in another two hours. He didn't think he would be able to stay awake that long.

 **Hey, you there?** His soulmate wrote.

_Sorry, going to grab a coffee. Talk to you later._

Without waiting for a reply, Merlin turned to Percival and poked his well-defined biceps. Pity he had to keep them covered up. Apparently, it could be distracting to the patients. Merlin couldn’t figure out for the life of him how it could be a bad thing. Who wouldn’t like a big well-muscled guy as the first thing they saw when gaining consciousness.

Percival did not even stir. Hmm… Maybe those muscles could be a liability after all. Merlin poked him again, a little harder this time.

People say third time’s the charm. Apparently there was some truth to that, as Percival shook his head and woke. Though Merlin suspected it was due more to the fact he shook his shoulder rather than poked him.

“Merlin?” Percival asked groggily. “Is everything all right?” Then he suddenly shot up. “Emergency? Who’s the patient? What happened?”

Merlin chuckled, and shook his head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just about to get some coffee. Do you want some?”

Percival blinked blearily at him, and then the words sunk in. “Oh! Yeah, black with two sugars and no cream. Where are you getting it from?”

“Not the break room, definitely. The shop down the street?”

“There’s a new one that opened a couple blocks away last month, and I am kind of addicted to their italian roast. Could you do me a favor and get it from there? I swear, you won’t regret it.”

Merlin frowned. “I am not going to pay for that.”

Percival nodded, pulling out a five pound note out of his wallet and handed it to him. Pocketing it, Merlin asked what the shop was called.

“Roast Bean Station. It’s fairly new, only opened last month,” Percival said. Merlin nodded, and turned to leave, picking up his coat from the back of his chair as he left.

* * *

Arthur glanced at his arm for the third time in the past five minutes, even if there hadn’t been the tell-tale tingle that signified an incoming message. Arthur sighed. His soulmate had said that he was going to get coffee and would talk to him later, but it didn’t stop Arthur from seeing if he had written anything.

Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that he had been compiling reports for the past three hours and was hardly any closer to the end. Normally his PA would have been doing this kind of job, but Gwen had recently caught a cold, and was burning up with fever at six, Arthur had sent her home. Arthur turned around in his swivel chair to look out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked over the London skyline, which twinkled in the dark.

Arthur admired the scene before him for sometime, then turning back around with a sigh. To his dismay, the words and letters in front of had stopped making any sense. The graphs were drawings. He glanced at his arm again, where the last words his soulmate had written had still not faded. 

Coffee sounded fantastic right now. Arthur thought. Anyways, there was no way he could finish his work now. Maybe he’ll get takeout along the way.

He had heard countless praises of a shop a few miles away, which apparently served a variety of exotic roasts, and was open 24 hours a day. Break room gossip did yield a lot of useful information, no matter what his father said. Now was as a good time as any to check it out. 

Arthur blinked a few times, and stacked all the reports and files which were scattered on the desk. Picking up his coat from the couch where he had discarded it earlier in the day, he walked out of his office and down the corridor that led to the elevator. The only other offices on this floor were his father’s and Morgana’s, and the lights were off in both, as they had left earlier in the day. The guard beside the elevator at the end was asleep, leaning against the wall for support. Arthur did not wake him up. There was very little chance that anything could happen, and if something did, the security on the lower floors would deal with it before it had the chance to come up here, on the second-to-topmost floor of the building.

For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, Arthur went on autopilot. He went down to the parking lot, got in his car, and drove to the shop using the directions given to him by the ever-helpful Google Maps.

The shop was small, something that was quite contradictory to the stories of its success he had heard. It had floor to ceiling windows instead of two walls (it was a corner shop), and a bell tinkled as Arthur went in. Despite the late hour, two customers were still in the shop. One left immediately after Arthur entered, cradling a cup in her hands. The other was sitting at a table, staring intently at his laptop, typing furiously with his earphones in. The barista was standing behind the counter, a phone in his hands which he was scrolling through leisurely.

“Elyan?” Arthur asked incredulously, recognising Gwen’s brother from the photos she had shown him. The barista looked up at the sound of his name, frowning in confusion. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Hey!” Arthur said with a smile, stepping up to the counter. “You probably don’t recognise me. I’m Arthur.”

Elyan’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh yeah! Gwen’s-”

“Employer, yes.” Arthur finished. “I heard a lot about this place. Decided to come check it out. I didn’t know you worked here!”

“I own this place, actually, but nevermind that. What can I get you?”

Arthur’s eyebrows shot up. “You own this place? Gwen never told me!”

Elyan chuckled. “I suppose she didn’t. Anyways, what can I get you?”

“A vanilla latte, iced. Two shots of espresso. Add a blueberry scone as well, will you?”

Both of them chatted amicably as Elyan prepared the order. He was just popping the lid on the cup when the bell tinkled again. Both of them turned to the door to see a man walking in. 

The first thing that Arthur noticed was how tired he looked. The second was that he looked like a freaking _god._

Maybe it was just the exhaustion talking. But nevertheless, the dark circles and the generally haggard appearance could not disguise the fact that he had the bluest eyes Arthur had ever seen, his own included, and cheekbones that could send even Benedict Cumberbatch to shame (Yes, he was a fan).

The scrubs under the woolen coat he was wearing pegged him as a doctor. That explained why he looked so tired. Night shifts were hell, a fact that his soulmate had informed him of many times already, including half an hour ago

As Arthur watched, the man glanced around the room. A new customer, then. He caught sight of the counter and trudged over, pulling out his wallet as he did so. 

“A hazelnut butterscotch cappuccino and a black with that italian roast you have. Two shots of espresso in each.” The man ordered, handing over two notes of five pounds with a tired smile. Elyan returned it, looking way too awake for that time of the day (night). He quickly pulled out the change from the till and handed it back, before moving away to make the orders. Arthur found it a bit odd that the man had given two. Was he getting for someone else?

Arthur watched as the man slumped, pinching the bridge of his nose and wincing slightly. Arthur knew that feeling all too well. “Long night?” He asked, and then cringed when that came out of his month with the barest of consultation with his brain.

The man looked up to stare at him. Arthur swallowed discreetly as the full force of that blue gaze was turned on him. The man looked a bit out of it, so he waved a hand in front of his face.

The man started, and blinked owlishly at him before apparently the words sunk in. “Oh! Yeah, long night. Night shift at the hospital. It wouldn’t be so bad if there were any emergencies, but as quiet as the bottom of the Mariana Trench.” He sighed, and looked mournfully at the display case that contained all the pastries. A moment later, he shook his head and looked back up at him. “Hello,” He said, holding out his hand, “I’m Merlin.”

“Arthur,” He replied, shaking his hand. “You’re a doctor, I presume?”

“Yes. And judging from your business suit, you’re a corporate guy, I presume?”

“Yes, in fact-” He did not get any further as Elyan decided at that moment to come back with the orders. He felt awful as he watched Merlin shake two packets of sugar in one of the cups. He had a soulmate for god’s sake! He couldn’t go around developing minor crushes on any man that came along, no matter how good-looking they were. 

Though there was no rule stating that he couldn’t get in a relationship before he had met his soulmate, he still felt he was being unfaithful. Having a soulmate wasn’t a blessing that everyone had, barely a half-a-thousand couples were made in a century.

Arthur opened his mouth again, to apologise, but then Merlin’s phone rang. He picked it up with one hand while stirring the coffee with the other. A second later, it stilled, and his eyes widened. He cursed. “Call Will! I’ll be right there!” By the time Arthur could even ask what was wrong, Merlin had already swept out of the shop, coffees in hand.


	2. Lock Me Up With Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a f-bomb

Arthur had been disappointed many times in his life. But nothing came close to learning that his flight had been delayed by three hours, especially when he had to wake up at four to catch it. He sighed, sipping his coffee. It was a hazelnut butterscotch cappuccino, a drink he had seen a man order in a shop about a month ago and decided to try. It was safe to say that he was addicted to it now.

Arthur turned the page of the book in his lap, pushing his glasses back up his nose. It was a stereotypical crime thriller, but that didn’t stop Arthur from being engrossed in it. Technically he could be spending his time more productively by responding to emails from work, but the voice that suggested it sounded suspiciously like his father, so he ignored it in favour of reading the book. It was new, arrived from Amazon just the day before, and Arthur had decided he would only open it when he was on the flight. His earlier decision had been overruled when he learnt that his flight had been delayed. 

All around him, the general hustle and bustle of an airport was going on. He had always felt that reality in airports was always a little altered, as they were always busy, even in the middle of the night. 

A wail of a child cut through the air. He was sitting in the waiting area next to the gate he was supposed to go through, rather than one of those specialised lounge areas. He was just about to go back to his book when a pair of voices reached him.

“For God’s sake Lance! Do you remember where you kept the tickets?!” The voice was oddly familiar, which was the reason Arthur looked up.

The speaker was a one of a pair, both of whom were carrying two backpacks and a rolling suitcase each.

“I don’t have the tickets! You were responsible for them!” The taller of the two said, running a hand through his hair and glaring at his companion, who was currently in the process of digging through one of his backpacks. He also looked familiar, Arthur thought.

“I distinctly remember Gaius giving  _ you _ the tickets,” He mumbled, just as he was crashed into by a group of people hurrying along. He stumbled, and a pile of books and files spilled onto the floor. “Fuck!”

Arthur was out of his seat crouching beside the mess before he knew it. Both the men were still bickering, though they crouched and were picking up the books. A lot of papers had also spilled, but Arthur did not know which ones went where, so he just crammed them into different folders. He was just about to pick up a book when he saw what had dropped out of them.

Two airplane tickets.

Probably the ones the men were fighting over right now. Dimly, Arthur wondered if they were together. 

That thought went out of the window as one of the men caught sight of the tickets in his hand. Lance, he thought.

He plucked the tickets from his hand and thwacked his companion over the head with them. “See Merlin! They were with you all along!”

“Ow! I am sure you never hit Gwen! Why am I any different?”

“Because you are an idiot, and she is not.”

At that moment, Arthur realised two things. The shorter of the two men was the same guy he had met in the coffee shop a month ago, and the taller one was his PA’s fiance. He didn’t know how he didn’t recognise them.

“You’re Lancelot?” He asked, and both the men looked up at him. Noticing him for the first time, apparently. 

Lancelot’s face scrunched up in confusion, but cleared when a spark of recognition went through his eyes. “You’re Arthur?”

He was just about to reply when a voice came over the speakers informing of boarding ending on gate fifteen. Which was apparently Lancelot’s and Merlin’s flight, as they exchanged wide-eyed looks and quickly hurried away after throwing apologies and thank yous over their shoulders. As they jogged away, Merlin glanced at him over his shoulder, and smiled as he saw Arthur looking at him.

* * *

Merlin wasn’t sure what the worst part of the day was. The part in which he had overslept his alarm, or when he realised that he had missed his usual train to the hospital, or when he was informed that Percival, who was supposed to be going for a doctor’s conference in Israel had to go back home and Merlin was expected to take his place. 

At least he would be travelling with Lancelot, so that was a small consolation. 

The tell tale tingle of a message from his soulmate had appeared early in the morning, but he didn’t have time to reply until he was in the subway to the airport. It was a generic Good Morning, but it didn’t fail to bring a smile on his face. He replied with a good morning of his own, and left it at that.

Then of course, it all went to hell. He had lost the tickets, and they were already running late for their flight. He was sure that Gaius had given them to Lancelot, but he said that they had been given to him.

Normally he would have argued, but there could be some truth to Lancelot’s words. Merlin could be quite forgetful at times, and it was wholly possible that the tickets were given to  _ him _ . 

So that was why Merlin decided to search in his backpack if they were in there. This one contained his laptop and files, while the other one had clothes he hadn’t managed to fit in his suitcase. It was difficult, and the papers were all crammed (he didn’t have much time to pack properly) and nothing was discernible. To top it all off, Lancelot was really annoyed. It was uncharacteristic of him, but he had just learnt that there would be a last minute change in the trip just that morning and was running late, it was enough to make anyone stressed. So Merlin forgave him.

For the cherry on the top the cake that was his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, he was bumped into by someone, causing him to spill all the contents on the floor. Lancelot let out a long-suffering sigh. Merlin resisted the urge to snap at him, instead crouching to pick them up. Dimly, he noticed a stranger coming to help them, but didn’t pay them a lot of attention.

That is, until Lancelot hit him over the head with something. Merlin looked up, to see that they were the airplane tickets. “See Merlin! They were with you all along!”

Merlin frowned at him. “Ow! I am sure you never hit Gwen! Why am I any different?”

“Because you are an idiot, and she is not.”

Merlin was just about to say something back when he was interrupted. “You’re Lancelot?” The stranger was looking up at his partner in surprise. He looked familiar, though Merlin couldn’t place from where. He looked at Lance if he recognised the stranger. Apparently, he did, as a second later his eyebrows shot up. “You’re Arthur?”

Merlin’s frown turned deeper. Arthur? The name sounded familiar, but he still couldn’t place him.

Arthur grinned, the corners of his eyes scrunching up. Merlin just managed to not stare, a difficult feat, seeing how cute he looked in those glasses. 

Arthur was just about to answer when an ethereal voice interrupted him. It was an announcement, informing people that boarding on gate fifteen was about to end. Merlin’s heart caught in his throat. If he missed his flight, then Gaius would have his head, that is if Lancelot didn’t kill him first. 

Both exchanged a panicked look, and throwing apologies to Arthur, they quickly jogged away.

Merlin couldn’t help but look at him over his shoulder as he went away, smiling as he noticed him staring after him, a half-scrunched up confused expression on his face which was completely adorable.


	3. Chain It To Your Heart's Desire, I Don't Want You To Stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter! Enjoy!  
> Also, the rating of this story has been changed from General Audiences to Teen and Above. This is because there are a few f bombs in this chapter too.  
> It has not been edited, I finished it late at night and I need to go to sleep now.
> 
> Something to note- In this universe, you can't converse with your soulmate until you turn sixteen.

Merlin was having a better day than he had in ages. It was a Friday, his shift had ended at a reasonable time (Nine o'clock), and he had managed to grab a seat on the subway ride home. The only thing lacking was that he didn’t have anyone to spend the weekend with.

 _How are you?_ He scrawled on his arm, the notes of music he had put on his phone swirling in his head. His earphones were quite old, and the wire was stripped in a few places, but they still worked perfectly. 

It was a few minutes before he received a reply. **You seem happy today. What’s the occasion?**

Merlin grinned. One person he could always depend on to reply was his soulmate, and he had never been disappointed. _I got off my shift early today!! No shifts on the weekend either! I am going to sleep the whole time._

 **Lucky you. And while we are at it, lucky me too! A three-hour meeting that I was supposed to attend got cancelled. Early night for me too!** It was followed by a smiley face.

 _Are you fine? You don’t seem yourself today._ Merlin frowned. His soulmate was uncharacteristically happy today.

***Growls* Fuck you. Is this better?**

Merlin chuckled. _Yes._

The song ended, and a new one started. He was aware that he was receiving a few odd looks, with the way he was writing on his hand and giggling. The looks had lessened as he sat there, but he still got one or two, mostly by the people who had just entered the train.

He sat chatting with his soulmate for a few more minutes, during which he got to know that he (yes, his soulmate was a he, it was one of the first facts he had got to know) was currently walking to the tube station and was going to catch it home. He went off soon after that, saying that he was at the station now and would talk to him later. Merlin wondered briefly if he would board the same train he was on, but discarded the idea quickly. There were dozens of trains in London, and his soulmate hadn’t told him where he would be getting on. 

Honestly, the only concrete thing he knew about his soulmate’s appearance was that he was blond, and had blue eyes. All other times he had tried to elaborate happened in a vague language that didn’t leave Merlin any more informed than he was before.

The song began to slow down, as did the train. It ended just as the train stopped, and the doors opened just as another one started. It was a rock number by a band he had never heard before, and he felt his adrenaline spike as he watched half a dozen people walk in. Three men, a couple, and another woman. None were pretty memorable or good looking, so Merlin went back on his phone to read the study on genetics he had started in the afternoon that day. 

He fully expected the train to start moving again, but then half a minute passed and it didn’t. Brow furrowed, he looked up, just to see someone that hadn’t entered before when he had looked up unravel a purple knitted scarf from his neck. It was definitely a man, Merlin deduced from the figure, broad shouldered and strong. He had a beanie over his head that obscured his hair (except for a few wisps of blond hair), but the thick black overcoat was opened at the front to reveal a business suit underneath. It was all in all a very odd outfit, but understandable. It had been a particularly cloudy and cold day today, even by London’s standards.

The man was facing away from him, so Merlin could not see much, but what he _could_ see painted a picture that was something from his wet fantasies from college. Granite-hewn jaw, roman nose; all in all a very fantastic picture. He could have stared at him all day (or until one of them got off the train), and was fully prepared to do so. Unfortunately for him, the seat beside him on the right was emptied just as the train began to slow, and somehow the blond managed to take it. How he managed to get here from the opposite side of the train in such a short time, Merlin did not know, but was incredibly disheartened by the fact he would not be able to ogle him.

At least, he would be in close contact with him. He thought, as the blond sat down beside him. Maybe they could talk?

That idea was squashed as the man pulled out his earphones and plugged them in his phone. Settling back against the wall of the train, he went out of Merlin’s peripheral vision.

Merlin sighed, mildly disappointed. Sure, he had a soulmate, but it wasn’t like he just had to be with him. Sure, the universe had decided that they were made for each other, but Merlin honestly liked a challenge. Maybe he could date a few people before he met him? He had thought.

Apparently the universe did not accept his philosophy, because everyone he dated (and that was a very short list) quickly backed out the relationship when they learnt he had a soulmate. Honestly, humans had no qualms about breaking the law or ruining the earth, but when they learnt that their boyfriend had a predestined significant other, suddenly they developed a conscience. 

Merlin sighed. This was not the time to be bitter about his life. (Or his soulmate. Very few people had the chance of not having to hunt for their other half, he had been reminded often, mostly by people who were soulmate-less, so he couldn’t take them seriously) He clicked the ballpoint pen in his hand, fully intending to carry on the conversation with his soulmate, when the lights went out. 

And the train slowed and eventually stopped.

Merlin had never thought about the subway itself very much, but in the total darkness, he could not help but think about the hundreds of tons of soil on top of him and how it could collapse at any moment and crush him. (No matter that it hadn’t for a good quarter of a century since the tunnels had been made. Weren’t earthquakes unpredictable?)

Merlin’s train of thought of his impending doom (pun very much intended) screeched to a halt (another pun that was very much intended) when he realised that his seat neighbour (the cute blond one) had stiffened. Normally Merlin wouldn’t be bothered, but his doctor instincts decided to kick in at that moment. Maybe it had something to do with the fact Merlin wouldn’t mind very much if he had to comfort him.

With that thought in mind, Merlin pulled out his phone to switch off the music that was still blaring in his battered earphones. The bright light assaulted him like a sledgehammer, so he quickly paused the music and shut it off. Pulling out one of his earphones, he quietly whispered “Are you okay?” To the man beside him. Merlin made a split second decision and touched the man’s arm, his touch feather-light because he wasn’t sure if it would be welcomed. It was quite dark, but there was enough illumination from other people’s phones for him to see that the man had turned towards him and that his eyes were wide in shock.

A few seconds passed and the man didn’t move away, so Merlin properly placed his hand on his arm and repeated his question. Receiving no reply, his brow furrowed, and then he realised the man couldn’t hear him. The bloody earphones were still in. Merlin plucked one out of his ears and asked if he was okay for the third time. This apparently jerked him up as he quickly shook himself and chuckled nervously.

“Uh.. Yeah. I don’t do well in small cramped places, really.”

Merlin snorted, moving his hand away. “Well then mate, the tube isn’t the best place for you to be. As you have probably realised by now, it is underground. And pretty cramped.”

The man chuckled again, and shook his head. “I don’t usually. It was always too late when I get off work for me to catch the tube, they don’t run that late into the night. I take a cab in the morning.”

Merlin nodded, and quietly debated going back to his music. But when again would he be able to talk to this man? Never again, probably. He should make the most of it now, even if he couldn’t see his face properly. His doctor instinct also told him that the man would be comfortable if someone was talking to him.

Who was he to argue with that?

Merlin smiled, even if the man could not see it, and continued. “Sounds like a tough life.”

“Well, that’s a corporate job for you.”

Both of them chatted for a few more minutes, until the train started moving again. To Merlin’s dismay, the lights did not come back on. An announcement informed them that the train had suffered through some technical errors and the lights had malfunctioned. The train would need to be emptied at the next station.

Merlin sighed. Looks like his perfect day wasn’t going to be that perfect anymore.

* * *

The first message came when Arthur was walking down the street in front of his office building. It said _How are you?_

The messy scrawl would be a challenge for anyone to read, but luckily Arthur had had a lot of practice. A plus point about that was that no one one would understand what was written if they ever glanced at his arm.

Arthur grinned, and pulled out a marker from his pocket where he always kept one for this particular occasion. **You seem happy today. What’s the occasion?** He wrote back. It wasn’t often his soulmate wrote to see how he was, he normally just delved into stories of how his day was and his dickish patients and coworkers. Arthur was secretly glad that his soulmate was a doctor, so he would know whenever Arthur was hurt _and_ how to fix him. One of the perks of the soulmate bond.

It took a second for the answer to come. _I got off my shift early today!! No shifts on the weekend either! I am going to sleep the whole time._

Arthur chuckled to himself. At first the overuse of exclamation marks used to annoy him, but that was when he didn’t understand his gift or his soulmate. Now he found them indescribably endearing. 

**Lucky you. And while we are at it, lucky me too! A three-hour meeting that I was supposed to attend got cancelled. Early night for me too!** Arthur wrote back, grinning. He had a night off, something he hadn’t gotten for months. He wasn’t going to work at the weekend either. Father could stick his complaints where the sun didn’t shine.

 _Are you fine? You don’t seem yourself today._ At first glance, the words could be mistaken for concern, but Arthur had been dealing with this man for over a decade. It was almost certainly a taunt. And he knew what exactly. He seemed a little too happy too.

 ***Growls* Fuck you. Is this better?** He wrote back. An answer in the affirmative came just a second later, and Arthur could just feel the cheeky smirk that would be in his soulmate’s face.

Arthur shook his head at his arm, just as the lights to the tube station loomed in front of him. He quickly scribbled a note saying that he was at the station now and would talk to him later, and left it at that, not waiting for a reply.

It had been quite some time since he had travelled by the subway, and he hoped that his card still worked. To his delight, he realised that it did. It didn’t take him long to get to the platform, but when he did, he realised with a sinking feeling that there was a train already there, and the doors were about to close. For a second Arthur debated waiting for the next train, but the display board told him that it would be another ten minutes before it arrived. He didn’t want to wait that long. So he quickly waved to the people in the train and shouted at them to stop the train. A man noticed just as the doors were closing, and stuck a foot between the doors. They opened again, and Arthur deftly stepped in, throwing a grateful look and a thank you at the man. He smiled back before turning to his girlfriend. 

Arthur looked around at the inside of the train, remembering the last time he was here. It was over a year ago, and it was the last train of the night, and he was travelling back home with Morgana when she announced her engagement with Leon. Arthur had nearly toppled off the seat in surprise.

Smiling at the memory, Arthur unravelled his scarf from his neck. It was pretty cold today, so he had taken an extra scarf and cap along with his coat when he had left his home that morning. It was quite warm in the carriage, so he decided to remove it. The cap stayed on, however. It wasn’t uncomfortable.

He felt a few stares on him, but decided to ignore them. They were mostly appreciative anyway. He wondered what they would think if they realised that he was gay and taken. (Had a soulmate, actually, but what's the difference?)

Arthur pulled out his phone to occupy him, but kept an eye if any seat would be getting empty anytime soon. His eye fell on someone on the other side of the carriage. A middle aged man was closing his book and placing it inside his briefcase, a tell-tale sign that he was going to get off at the next stop. Quite a few people were eyeing the man (Or rather, the seat).

Oh hell no.

Arthur quickly moved across the carriage, and almost lunged at the seat when it was vacated. Almost being the key word. He landed quite gracefully, if he said so himself.

So engrossed was he in his task that he didn’t realise he had a neighbour until he jostled into him. Arthur quickly snuck a glance. Black hair, chiselled face, and _holy hell_ cheekbones. He felt as he had seen them before, but when a moment’s contemplation did not yield any results, he went back to pulling his earphones out of his backpack. Plugging them in his phone, he leant back, fully intent on letting the music wash the stress of the week away. 

It worked for a minute. Arthur didn’t have anything to do, he didn’t have a book to read, and didn’t want to stare at his phone screen after all the time he spent on his laptop, so he decided to watch the passengers instead. It wasn’t particularly interesting, most of the people were either engrossed in their phones or were having whispered conversations with someone else. A movement to his left dragged his attention to the black-haired man again. He had just sighed. A quick analysis showed him wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a sapphire-coloured button down. Casual yet formal, to some extent. His long pale fingers were fiddling with the wire of his old earphones, and his body was swaying almost imperceptibly to the music he was listening to.

As Arthur watched, the man seemingly came to a decision, as he clicked a pen he had not previously noticed. There was no kind of paper in sight, so the only logical conclusion was that he was going to write on his arm. Probably a soulmate. As expected, he started pulling up his left sleeve, but before Arthur could see anything else, the lights went out, and the train screeched to a halt barely a minute later.

It was at that moment Arthur realised why he hated the tube so much. He was claustrophobic, and being stuck in small places was honestly the worst thing that could happen to him. Add a bunch of people, and it was a recipe for disaster. Arthur could not help stiffen, though he narrowly missed having a panic attack.

He didn’t know what to do, and was starting to have trouble breathing when something touched his left arm. It was feather-light, and Arthur wasn’t sure if it had been there at all, if he had imagined it. Nevertheless, he whipped his head to his left, where, to his shock, he saw the black haired man looking right at him. A second later, the touch returned, and Arthur realised that it was the man putting a hand on his arm. 

Through the haze of shock and dim illumination, he saw the man’s brow furrow. A second later, an earphone was plucked from one of his ears, letting him hear what he was saying.

“Are you okay?” He said. Arthur shook himself a little, the fog clearing a bit at the sound. He chuckled nervously at being caught at such a position. “Uh.. Yeah. I don’t do well in small cramped places, really.”

The man snorted, moving his hand away. Arthur lowkey missed the comforting touch, even though he refused to admit it. “Well then mate, the tube isn’t the best place for you to be. As you have probably realised by now, it is underground. And pretty cramped.”

Arthur would have expected to end the conversation there with a nod, but apparently his mind decided that to keep talking was the best way to keep his mind off his predicament. “I don’t usually. It was always too late when I get off work for me to catch the tube, they don’t run that late into the night. I take a cab in the morning.”

There was a moment before there was an answer, and Arthur panicked. Oh God! He should have cut the conversation before!

“Sounds like a tough life.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Well, that’s a corporate job for you.” 

They talked for a few minutes more, and then the train started again. An announcement came over the intercom, which said that the lights had malfunctioned and that the train would be emptied at the next station. Arthur was a little disheartened, as he wanted to know what his interlocutor looked like. His side profile had looked quite promising. Perhaps at the station?

But his hopes were crushed when the man moved away from his seat before the lights from the station lit up the inside of the carriage. He told him that it was nice talking to him, and Arthur said it back, but when the doors opened, the man disappeared before Arthur had a chance to look at his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments and kudos! It really makes my day.


	4. Lock Me In And Hold This Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! My muse decided to abandon me for some time. But now that this chapter is up, I hope you enjoy!

Merlin wasn’t sure if Freya moving to a new house was a good idea or not.

On the positive side, Merlin had an excuse to go to the flea market with her, but on the negative side, he was sacrificing his weekend for it. (Half a weekend, really. He had a late night shift on Sunday)

“That looks pretty,” Merlin quipped, pausing in front of a kiosk that sold hand-embroidered cushion covers and pointed to a multicoloured set which would go perfectly with the dark purple couch she had.

Freya turned towards him from where she was looking at bamboo furniture, and looking at where he was pointing, a frown took over her face. “They’re multicoloured,” She deadpanned.

“They're not multicoloured, they’re unique! And besides, didn’t you want your house to have a homey look to it? That it should look lived-in?”

“That’s not homey, that’s straight up fucking hideous. No offence,” She added to the kiosk owner, who had frowned at her words. “I am sure they are beautiful, but just not for me."

The owner turned away with a nod, but her brow was furrowed. Merlin sighed and joined Freya at the next stall, where she was perusing for an armchair. 

“Are you sure you want bamboo furniture?” Merlin asked. It had been a good few hours since they had arrived, and they still didn’t have anything concrete to show for it. Just a few decorative pieces that were essentially trash and had been picked and bought on a whim.

“What do you mean?” Freya asked, crouching to check the price of a table.

“You just don’t seem like a bamboo kind of girl. I think dark wood’s more of your thing.”

“And where would I get money for that? I don’t earn that much. Besides, I finally have a decent sized balcony! What do you expect me to keep there?”

Merlin shrugged. “Plants? Like a normal person?”

“I never said I was normal. Besides, where would Bastard sleep? On the plants?”

“I still think that Bastard is a horrible nickname for a cat.” 

“It’s not his real name anyways. Bastard suits him better than Bast.”

Merlin rolled his eyes and sank into a nearby seat, leaving Freya to do the shopping. His feet were aching, and the sun was bearing down on him (or as harsh as English sunlight could be). It was high afternoon, and they had arrived at eight. Groaning, he flipped his head back, wishing desperately for a glass of lemonade. Or soda. Or water.

Remembering that he had a bottle of water in his backpack, he leaned over the side of the chair to grab it from where he had dropped it earlier. 

Just as he did so, his head crashed against someone’s hip. A very strong hip, might I add.

Wincing, Merlin leaned back, bringing his left hand up to massage the abused area. He looked up, squinting slightly, trying to figure out who it was he had crashed into.

He was met by a round-ish face framed by a mop of reddish-blond hair and stubble dotting their jaw. It was a man (That explained the hardness of the hips. Not saying that women can’t have hard hips), and quite a good-looking one at that. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Merlin was currently looking up and the sun was framing the guy’s head in a halo.

Merlin blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the sunlight. As he did so, the man’s face came into focus. His eyes were wide. “Oh my God! I am so sorry! I was just admiring a coffee table behind and didn’t see you and you also leaned over so suddenly I am so sorry-”

“Leon?” A female voice cut through and interrupted the man’s nervous rambling. Both of them turned to see a woman stalking towards them. Long black hair, and piercing eyes somewhere between blue and green. She was extremely intimidating, or would have been, if she wasn’t dripping wet. “Give me your extra shirt.”

The man, Leon, sighed and unslung his backpack from his back and unzipped it, pulling out a dark blue button down and handing it over to her a sigh. “Do I want to know what happened?”

“Arthur dared me to the dunk tank and managed to dunk me. I am not sure if he didn’t just cheat.” The woman quickly pulled the shirt over her white top, which was clinging to her skin and showing quite a bit what she was wearing under. Leon winced. “And where is he now?”

“Hiding probably, that coward. Wait until I get my hands on him.” She growled, pulling her hair out of the ponytail it was in. Leon muttered something like God save him, but the woman didn’t reply, as her eyes had just fallen on Merlin, or more specifically, his wide-eyed stare.

“What the fuck are you looking at?” She spat. Merlin blamed her anger (or maybe those eyes), for what he said next.

“I’m gay.”

The woman looked a bit discombobulated by that, but recovered quickly, turning back to Leon with a small “Oh okay.” Merlin figured that she wasn’t accustomed to someone not checking her out and just being intimidated. “What are you doing here?” She demanded next, her eyes narrowed at Leon, who smiled disarmingly at her.

“I was just getting you a gift, Morgana,” Saying that, he pulled out a bamboo-hewn water bottle from behind his back. Merlin wasn’t sure if it had been there before or not, or had Leon pulled it out of thin air.

At the next moment, like a switch had been flipped, the woman, Morgana’s demeanor changed to excited. “Oh thank you!” She plucked it from his hands with a smile, and proceeded to peck him on the lips before moving away from Merlin, Leon following her. Merlin let out a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding.

He had just reached over to pick up his backpack again (this time making sure no one was coming his way) when his arm tingled. He pulled up his sleeve (yes, it was warm today, but it was according to English standards), to see two words printed on his arm.  **Help me.**

Merlin’s heart caught in his throat. Was his soulmate okay? Had he been in an accident? He quickly fired back a  _ what happened?  _ And was digging through his backpack for his phone when his arm tingled again. With a little trepidation, he glanced at it, only to see  **I pissed off my sister and she is now out for my blood.**

Merlin rolled his eyes and sank back onto the seat.  _ Oh shit. Sorry can’t help you mate. Single child, remember?  _ He topped it off with a close approximation of the rolling eyes emoji. Pity his drawing was as bad as his handwriting. 

He looked up, just to see Freya listening intently to a stall worker, who was rattling something off while walking around the place, showing her different pieces. Merlin sighed. This was going to take some time. He pulled out his phone and water bottle (finally!) and taking a long sip, he fired off a text to Freya saying that he was going to go pee and eat something and would be back after fifteen to twenty minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Freya pulling out her phone, but didn’t stay to see what she wrote back.

* * *

All of Arthur’s nerves were screaming NO!

He didn’t listen. Of course.

“Hey Morgana!” He yelled, his eyes trained on something a few meters away.

A dunk tank.

Which practically had Morgana’s name on it.

No matter Arthur considered himself a responsible adult, annoying Morgana was something he was always ready to do. She just bought out the worst in him. In the distance, Morgana turned around, and so did Leon. Both of them followed his line of sight, and Arthur watched with satisfaction as Leon’s eyes widened before he slumped in defeat, and Morgana’s narrowed.

“Yes, brother dear?” She asked, her tone acid. She must have figured out what he was planning to do. Arthur did not let that deter him. His grin widened. He pointed towards the dunk tank, where they were allowing people to dunk their friends in. This wasn’t something that was routinely at flea markets, found more often at fairs, but Arthur wasn’t complaining.

“That’s a dunk tank, Arthur.” Morgana said, sounding like she was explaining something to a five-year old. He rolled his eyes.

“I  _ know _ that. Why don’t you try it?”

At that, Morgana fully turned to face him, a hand on her hip. “Oh? And why exactly would I do that?”

Behind her, Leon turned his face heavenward, his lips moving in a silent prayer.

Arthur shrugged. “It’s a hot day.”

“It rained yesterday.”

“I know that. It’s still quite hot, don’t you think?”

Morgana raised an eyebrow. Realising that she was not going to fall for this, Arthur quickly changed tactics. “Are you scared Morgana? It’s just a little water!” Morgana’s eyes narrowed. Ha!  _ That _ was getting a reaction. Arthur decided to push a little further. “You always made fun of my throwing ability. I mean, if it’s so bad, you have nothing to fear, right?”

“Fine! I’ll do it. You get three throws. If I win, then you pay for everything I buy today.”

“And what if I do?” Arthur asked.

Morgana scoffed. “That’s just not possible.”

Arthur shrugged nonchalantly. He didn’t really want anything, just a chance to humiliate Morgana was enough. He swept his hand towards the dunk tank, and Morgana walked past him, her head held high. Arthur made to follow her, a smirk on his lips. Leon just rolled his eyes and said that he wasn’t going to be a part of something this ridiculous and if something, they better not come to him. Both half-siblings ignored him. Leon left.

The line in front of the dunk tank was decently long, but most were only looking for a chance to dunk someone else. Both of the siblings were at the front before long. Morgana climbed onto the seat with a smirk thrown Arthur’s way as he paid the owner. Once she had settled comfortably, Arthur tossed a ball at the trigger. It went above. Morgana’s smirk widened. 

Arthur narrowed his eyes, and threw the second ball. It also missed. Morgana was on the verge of cackling.

Arthur took a deep breath in, and aimed the ball. He threw it.

It also missed. Morgana laughed openly...

Only to gurgle in the next second. The owner had pulled a hidden lever, like Arthur had asked him to in case he missed all three times.

Through the transparent window, Arthur watched as Morgana’s eyes widened, and then narrowed. Her hair was floating around her head, and she was screaming something. A second later, she shot out of the tank. Arthur did not stay to figure out what she was yelling. He took off running, laughter bubbling out his chest and Morgana chased him through the market.

* * *

It did not take Merlin long to find the toilets. There was a line of half a dozen porta-potties about fifty meters from the bamboo furniture stall, at the edge of the market. He quickly did his business there, and got out, pulling a bottle of hand sanitiser out of his pocket and sanitising his hands. 

Blinking in the sunlight, he realised that he was really hungry. Really _ really _ hungry. He hadn’t eaten anything since he had gotten out of his flat this morning. Looking around, he realised that he wasn’t anything to eat here that wasn’t at least a decade old. He sighed. He didn’t have anything either. 

Merlin sighed, and decided to take a hike around the edge of the market in hopes that there might be a few fruit stalls, or at least a bakery. He didn’t have much hope.

A few minutes of trudging through the market, however, he reached an area where there weren’t any people, curiously. The wooden stalls were there in the ten-meter radius, but they were all in various states of ruin. Just no people. Merlin scanned the place in bewilderment for a minute, but just as began to walk away, a crashing sound reached his ears. Merlin whipped around, watching the place with narrowed eyes as his heart beat furiously in his chest. Taking a minute to calm down, Merlin moved towards where the sound had come from. Maybe it was an animal which was trapped?

But then why weren't there any sounds of distress?

Merlin didn’t stop to contemplate. As he climbed over debris, his eyes fell on a piece of tin roofing that had fallen in front of a massive crate. It was obscuring him from seeing what was inside. Frowning, he moved towards it. 

Just as he ripped away the tin sheet, a shriek of surprise left him stumbling backwards. It took him a minute to figure out someone was crouching in the crate, and when he did, he had to blink again to figure out what he was seeing was real.

It was.

A man, roughly Merlin’s age, judging by the way he had folded himself, was sitting inside the crate and watching Merlin with wide eyes. Merlin was sure the expression of surprise was mirrored on his face too.

“What are you doing in there?” He asked, unsure, letting the tin roofing fall from his hands. “Is it some really intense game of hide and seek?” He added, just to dispel the tension.

It worked.

The man chuckled. He was in shadow, so Merlin couldn’t see much, except for a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers caked in mud. “No, I am hiding from my sister.”

For a second, Merlin remembered the message he had received a few minutes ago. Could it be?

No, his soulmate was a posh prat who would never be found hiding in an abandoned wooden crate even if his life was on the line. Merlin chuckled internally.

Then he remembered the couple he had encountered in the bamboo stall. The dripping woman and her boyfriend (husband? Fiance?).

“Your sister? You mean that scary looking woman named Morgana?”

The man leaned out, and Merlin’s eyes were greeted by a head of disheveled golden hair and blue eyes. He was momentarily blinded. “You know her?”

Merlin chuckled. “No, I saw her a few minutes ago, at the bamboo furniture stall. She looked pissed, and drenched. What did you do?”

The man pouted. It was really adorable, and Merlin tried not to stare. “Dared her to the dunk tank and dropped her in.”

Merlin’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t know Morgana, but from the brief exchange he had with her (and the one he had seen. Eavesdropped on?), he knew that he would never have the guts to do the same if she was his sister. “I- Wow.”

The man chuckled darkly. “Yes. Now I am regretting it.”

Laughter bubbled out of his chest before Merlin could stop it. “Poor you,” He said, sarcastically. “I feel for you, I really do.”

The man frowned, but Merlin found  _ that _ adorable too. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Maybe it was the heat. 

Merlin looked at the man contemplatively for a moment before he realised that he was watching his left hand, for some reason.

Not hand, Merlin realised with a small jolt. Forearm.

Where the last conversation he had had with his soulmate had still not rubbed off.

Fortunately for him, Merlin had decided to wear a full sleeved t-shirt that day, but he had pulled them up while in the bathroom. Until now, they had lowered significantly, but the edge of the conversation was still visible. Merlin whipped his arm behind his back, and the man lifted his eyes to his, a small furrow between his brows. Suddenly Merlin just wanted to get out of there.

His wish was fulfilled in the way of his phone ringing. Sighing in relief, he pulled it from the pocket of his jeans to see that it was Freya calling. He accepted the call and put the device to his ear.

“Where are you?” She asked.

“Hello to you too. About a hundred meters from the loos.”

“Well, come back quickly, I need your opinion on some pieces I am thinking of buying.”

Merlin sighed, subjecting himself for another few hours of furniture shopping.

“I’ll buy you waffles afterward,” Freya said, in hope of enticing him. “From the place on Winter Street that you like so much.”

“I hate you, you know?”

“Bye, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Saying that, she cut the call.

Rolling his eyes, Merlin pocketed his phone again. “Sorry, gotta go,” He said to the man who was still inside the crate.

“You won’t tell my sister where I am, right?”

“You’ll have to confront her sooner or later.”

“I’d rather it be later than sooner. Put the tin roof back when you go, will you?”

Merlin did, and was really thankful he did a few moments later, when he tripped over a fallen rafter-looking thing. Judging from the snort of muffled laughter, the man knew exactly what had happened.

* * *

Arthur ran through what seemed like the width of the market, surprised that he hadn’t managed to knock something (or someone) over with how many times he had looked back. Morgana had fallen behind two-thirds of the way, and now he couldn’t hear her. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t there. Not willing to take any chances, Arthur kept running, until he reached a small pocket of the market where there weren’t any stalls, curiously. Dimly, Arthur wondered why that was, but not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he quickly glanced around for a place to hide.

Not finding anything in his line of sight, he moved forward, until he found an overturned crate big enough for him to crawl in.

Grinning, he scrambled towards it, stumbling over scattered pieces of metal and wood but never once tripping. He crouched down and crawled through the opening, settling himself. With satisfaction he realised that he was not easily visible from where he had entered the place, and the place where Morgana would most likely end up at too.

Sitting in the shadow of the inside of the wooden crate, a memory went through Arthur’s mind. Of when him and Morgana were kids, and would make tiny houses of cardboard boxes. More than once, they had shared one, and argued about what they would paint on it. Arthur would argue that of course lions were the better option, while Morgana would argue that dragons were much cooler. Eventually Arthur would fold, because Morgana was correct, dragons were better. Not that Arthur would ever admit it.

He sat there for God knows how long. There wasn’t much chance that Morgana was still pursuing him, but it seemed hot outside and Arthur didn’t want to get out of the cool shadow of the crate. For the lack of anything to do, Arthur pulled out a marker from his pocket and wrote on his arm.  **Help me.**

The reply came just a few moments later, a  _ what happened?  _ The writing was a little shaky, but Arthur chose to ignore that. The reply had come fairly quickly, so his soulmate was probably free right now. It made sense, since it was the weekend, but he had a shift nearly every weekend.

**I pissed off my sister and she is now out for my blood.** This was quite far from what had happened, but Arthur felt that it explained the crux of the problem quite well.

_Oh shit_. He wrote back, and another message followed the first a few seconds later.  _ Sorry can’t help you mate. Single child, remember?  _ That was followed by something like a doodle of bird poop, but after squinting at it for a few moments, Arthur realised it was something like the rolling eyes emoji. Scoffing at his soulmate’s horrible attempts at drawing (seriously, the guy could barely write legibly, why the fuck was he trying to draw?), Arthur let his hand fall, pulling his phone out. Even if he wasn’t getting out anytime soon, he could get something done while he was stuck in here.

That plan backfired only after a few minutes, when Arthur realised he wasn’t going to be able to get anything done. The day was to be fun, and anything work-related just wasn’t going to get his head in order. This left him playing Angry Birds.

After a few rounds of felling those evil green pigs, a crack startled Arthur. It had been a good fifteen minutes since he had hidden, Morgana surely wasn’t still chasing him?   


Frantically looking around, Arthur noticed a sheet of tin roofing just big enough to cover the opening of the crate. With a bit of awkward maneuvering and cursing, Arthur slithered out of the crate on his stomach and barely managed to move the piece of metal before he was seen. 

But just as he was wiggling back to his original position, his foot clanged against the metal. With a cringe, he heard it echo through the small clearing. Morgana certainly knew he was there.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he quickly counted his last breaths. He was going to die for sure.

The sheet of metal was ripped away, and a -very manly, might I add- yelp left his throat. (No, it was not a shriek, no matter whatever someone else said)

Then he realised with a start that the face staring down wasn’t his sister’s. No, not at all.

For one, it was unmistakably male.

The high cheekbones and black hair had made him seem like his sister at first glance, and the pale skin hadn’t helped, but this person was most definitely not his sister. He was also very confused.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, and Arthur received a small shock at hearing his voice (as to why, he had no idea). “Is this a really intense game of hide-and-seek?”

The innocent question, coupled with Arthur’s relief at his sister not finding him (yet) made a chuckle bubble out of his chest. “No, I am hiding from my sister.”

There was a small contemplative pause, during which the man’s eyes furrowed. (No, Arthur most definitely did  _ not _ find that cute) “Your sister? You mean that scary-looking woman named Morgana?”

Arthur’s heart stuttered. Oh God! Did this man know her? Had she deployed some of her friends to hunt him down? That did seem a little excessive, but Arthur never pretended to understand what went through her mind. He leaned out a little, tilting his head to look out at the man. (He did have quite nice eyes. Some intricate shade of blue. Sapphire? Azure?) “You know her?”

The man chuckled. “No, I saw her a few minutes ago, at the bamboo furniture stall. She looked pissed, and drenched. What did you do?”

“Dared her to the dunk tank and dropped her in.” Okay, so this wasn’t someone out to get him and drag him to Morgana, after all.

The man’s eyebrows shot up. “I- Wow.”

Arthur chuckled darkly. “Yes. Now I am regretting it.”

To his great surprise, the man started laughing. Not the belly-holding doubling-over kind of laugh, but it was close. “Poor you,I feel for you, I really do.” It was slightly sarcastic, but Arthur didn’t notice, as his attention had been grabbed by something else.

The sleeves of the man’s shirt were pulled up, for some reason, and were exposing bits of ink on his left forearm. It was too harpazard to be a tattoo, and also a little smudged. Arthur could only distinguish a few individual letters and words. Me, sister, ed, single, and a few more besides. They were in two distinct handwritings, and seemed like an entire conversation had been done on his arm. For some reason, it looked really familiar, but Arthur could not put his finger on it. Maybe he just didn’t have enough data.

Next second, the arm was whipped around to the man’s back, and Arthur looked up to see him distinctly uncomfortable. Maybe it was a soulmate thing. He should not have pried.

Arthur opened his mouth to apologize, but was cut off by the sound of a ringtone. The man pulled his phone out, and after glancing at the screen, he accepted the call and put the device to his ear.

The following one sided conversation was quite confusing, but Arthur didn't pay much attention. He only looked up after the man spoke up. “Sorry, gotta go.”

“You won’t tell my sister where I am, right?” Arthur asked.

“You’ll have to confront her sooner or later.”

“I’d rather it be later than sooner. Put the tin roof back when you go, will you?”

The man did so, but just as he moved away, a crash interrupted Arthur’s thoughts. His heart leapt up for a second, but the string of curses that followed reassured him that the man was okay. It also made it very clear that the man had tripped over something and had fallen to the ground.

Arthur could not help his laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the readers of I'm No Angel, I'm Just Me, I am sorry, it may take me some time to update it. My first subplot is done, but I need to detail and hash out the second subplot and how to connect it to the main plot. Sorry to keep you waiting!
> 
> The next chapter should be up soon! (At least, I hope so)


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